Floor jack



March 31, 1931. M c. R'OQK ET AL moon JACK Filed Jan. 8, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wzzzz'amgl S ar/rs, Gerzeraljf G/Fa/vmam, INIVENTORS.

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A TTORNE Y.

March 31, 1931. c RQQK ET AL I 1,798,225

FLOQR JACK Filed Jan. 8, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JYZrybw 6'. 300k [Valium6: 51 a r/rsj ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 31, 1931 [UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE MARION CICERO BOOKAND WILLIAM GOODMAN SPARKS, F HENDERSON, AND GENERAL HUGH CHAPMAN, 0FLANEVILLE, TEXAS FLOOR JACK Application 'filed January 8, 1930. SerialNo. 419,332.

The present invention relates to improvements in floor laying devices,and has referonce more particularly to a jack for use in laying tongueand groove flooring, siding,

or the like, where it is required that the boards be brought snuglytogether. 7

One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide afloor jack of the above-mentioned character that will at all times bepositive and efficient in its operation, the same being further simplein construction, inexpensive, strong and durable.

A further and important object is to provide a floor jack of theabove-mentioned character which includes a base having a boardengaginghead formed on its forward end and being provided with j oist-engagingspurs at its rear end, an operating lever being fulcrumed at its lowerend on the intermediate portion of the base and being oper ativelyconnected to the forward end of a ratchet bar, the rear end of whichisformed with a joist-engaging foot that also carries an anchoring spur;there being arranged on the rear end portion of the base, a pivoted pawlfor cooperation with the ratchet bar whereby the movable base andfloor-engaging head will be held in its advanced position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a sideelevation of our improved floor jack showing the same in use.

Figure 2 is a similar view, parts of the jack being shown in sectionwith the dotted lines indicating the relative positions of the partsduring the operation of the jack.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken approximately on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1 for disclosing the floor jack in top plan.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the base; and b Figure 5 is asimilar view of the ratchet In the drawings wherein for the purpose ofillustration is shown thepreferred embodiment of our invention, thenumeral 1 designates generally the base of the jack, the

same being formed at its forward end with the enlarged head 2 and theforward edge of the head is provided with the longitudinal slot 3 to fitthe tongues of flooring, siding and the like. The upper front portion ofthe head 2 is cut-out as indicated at 4 in order to facilitate thedriving of nails into the floor boards as they are laid.

The base 1 is formed with the longitudinal slot 5 that extends from therear end to a point adjacent the head 2 thus forming the parallel spacedarms 6. Apertured lugs 7 extend upwardly from the rear ends of the Iarms 6 adjacent the inner opposed faces thereof and the rear free endsof these arms are slightly enlarged and projecting downwardly understoodof course that the lever 9 is adapt-' ed for swinging movement betweenthe spaced arms of the base.

Forming a salient part of the present invention is the elongated ratchetbar 11 shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. This bar is formed at itsforward end with the upwardly curved portion 12 terminating in thebifurcated laterally disposedyoke 13 that straddles the lever 9 at apoint above the fulcrum 10 and a pivot pin 14 extends transverselythrough the free ends of the arms of the yoke 13 and the adjacentportion of the lever 9 to provide an operative connection between thelever and the ratchet bar. The ratchet bar is furthermore formed at itsopposite end with the downwardly inclined foot 15, the bottom facethereof being slightly rounded and projecting from the bottom face ofthe foot 15 is the j oist-engaging spur 16.

The ratchet bar 11 is arranged for disposition between the spaced armsof the base 1 and formed in the upper face of the ratchet bar are thetransversely disposed teeth 17 with which cooperates the pivoted pawl 18mounted on a pin 19 that extends through the apertured upstanding lugs 7in the manner as clearly shown in the drawings. The forward end of thepivoted pawl 18 provides a handle portion 20 for releasing the rear endof the pawl from engagement with the teeth 17.

A pin 21 extends transversely through the enlarged rear ends of the arms(5 to provide a rest for the longitudinally movable ratchet bar 11.

The operation of our improved floor ack is thought to be readily obviousfrom the construction disclosed in the drawings. When the parts arearranged as shown in Figure 1, a rearward pull upon the lever 9 willcause the base 1 and the head 2 to move forwardly and force the flooringboard A to be brou into interlocking engagement with the section offlooring already laid whereupon a nail is driven into the board. In thisoperation, the spur 16 is anchored in the top of the joist B. A furtherdownward pressure on the lever 9 will cause the spurs 8 to bite into thefloor joist B thereby locking the base and the head 2 against furtherlongitudinal sliding movement. Subsequently the mud 18 is released fromthe ratchet teeth 17 and a forward pull upon the lever 9 will cause theratchet bar 11 to travel forwardly to its foremost position whereuponthe spur 16 is again anchored in the joist B, this operation resultingin the spurs 8 being brought out of engagement with the joist whereuponthe operation of the floor jack is repeated to cause a further forwardsliding movement of the board.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, that we haveprovided a floor jack that will at all times prove positive andefiicient in its operation and due to its simplicity, can be readily andeasily adjusted. Also a fioor jack of this character can be constructedat a very low cost and the same will be strong and durable. By the useof our improved floor jack, considerable time and labor will be saved inlaying a floor, sidin ceiling or the like.

lVhile we have shown the preferred em'- bodiment of our invention, it isto be understood that minor changes in the size, shape and arrangementof parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claims. lVhile the invention hasbeen particularly re ferred to as a floor jack, it is obvious that itmay be employed for any other suitable purpose without departing fromthe scope of the invention as claimed.

lVhat we claim as new is:

1. In a floor jack of the class described, a base, a floor-engaging headcarried by the forward end of the base, a ratchet bar arranged forslidable movement on the rear end portion of the base, asupport-engaging foot formed on the rear end of the ratchet bar, ananchoring spur carried by the foot, an actuating lever fulcrumed at itslower end on the base, the forward end of the ratchet bar beingoperatively connected with the lever at a point above the fulcrum, and apivoted pawl carried by the base for cooperation with the ratchet bar asand for the purpose described.

2. In a floor jack of the class described, a base, a floor-engaging headcarried by the forward end of the base, a ratchet bar arranged forslidable movement on the rear end portion of the base, asupport-engaging foot formed on the rear end of the ratchet bar, ananchoring spur carried by the foot, an actuating lever fulcrumed at itslower end on the base, the forward end of the ratchet bar beingoperatively connected with the lever at a point above the fulcrum, and apivoted pawl carried by the base for cooperation with the ratchet bar,and a support-engaging spur carried by the rear portion of the base andadapted to bite into the support only when the ratchet bar has movedforwardly and a downward pressure is exerted upon the rear portion ofthe base as and for the purpose described.

3. In a floor jack of the class described, a base, a floor boardengaging head formed on the forward end of the base, a lever fulcrumedat its lower end on the base rearwardly of said head, a pair of spacedupstanding lugs formed on the rear portion of the base, an elongatedratchet bar arranged for slidable movement between said lugs, a yokeformed on the forward end of the ratchet bar and being operativelyconnected to the lever at a point above the fulcrum, a support-engagingfoot formed on the rear portion of the ratchet bar, an anchoring spurcarried by the bottom of the foot, and apivoted pawl mounted between thelugs for cooperation with the ratchet bar to prevent the return movementof the base and the head, said base and head being moved forwardly whenthe lever is swung rearwardly and the spur is in biting engagement withthe support.

4:. In a floor jack of the class described, a base, a floor boardengaging head formed on the forward end of the base, a lever fulcrumedat its lower end on the base rearwardly of said head, a pair of spacedupstanding lugs formed on the rear portion of the base, an elongatedratchet bar arranged for slidable movement between said lugs, a yokeformed on the forward end of the ratchet bar and being operativelyconnected to the lever at a point above the fulcrum, a support-engagingfoot formed on the rear portion of the ratchet bar, an anchoring spurcarried by the bottom of the foot, and a pivoted pawl mounted betweenthe lugs for cooperation engagement with the support when the ratchetbar is at the limit of its forward movement, and a downward pressure isexerted upon the rear end portion of the base as and for the purposedescribed. In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

MARION CICERO BOOK. WILLIAM GOODMAN SPARKS. GENERAL HUGH CHAPMAN.

